COO Report # 34 (2016-05-13)

This report was submitted by COO-TCT-TCS/VA Hawkins/TC-4/VSDII Aggressor


COO REPORT
COO REPORT #34
FROM: COO/VA Hawkins
DATE SUBMITTED: 13th May 2016
NEWS
LoC screenshots waiting to be processed: 0
LoS screenshots waiting to be processed: 0

[SALUTE]

Welcome to the COO Report! An Early one this week - there is something to announce ahead of tomorrow! Read on to find out more!


BATTLEFRONT 3 FIGHTER SQUADRON REVIEW

After a couple of days of playing, I figured I'm about ready to give my review of this platform. It's a shame it took me so long to get on board, but after the initial negative reviews and the fact I was only especially interested in one aspect of the game, I set a limit of £20. I'd not pay more. So, when a sale finally brought it below that price, as COO I could hardly avoid it any longer!

Well, I must say I'm glad I waited and didn't pay full price, but equally glad I bought it. Let me put it into a degree of perspective. I often get movies on demand at about £4 a go. that's 2-4hrs of entertainment, if I don't mind repeating a viewing. So, that's between 10 and 20 hours of entertainiment, with a degree of repartition, for the same £20. Will I get that out of this game? Certainly. For quick and fun Star Wars multiplayer flying, this will be my go to game for some time, and it has inspired me to do more to get people flying Star Wars MP (more about that later).

So what are the positives? First, the graphics are lovely, even on my minimum required specs machine. I'm getting smooth gameplay on a fairly below average internet connection too. Being able to fly using my Logitech joystick is an added and unexpected bonus! The matches are quick to get into, and as a space sim player, fairly intuative. There is a degree of balancing engines and weapons; simpler than I'm used to in an SW flight sim, but still a nice feature. Despite not being out in space, the play space is so open that I've never found the ground intrusive. Play is fast and, most importantly, fun. No lingering death waiting, you are quickly back into it. The maps are quite different, and add some interesing features. Hoth has snow storms, and Sullust has thick cloud, both of which obsure visability significantly. That's a nice touch for someone used to almost permanent clear vision when in a TIE. The difference in points scored for objectives, player kills and bot kills are also a nice incentive to play smart, rather than just 'SHOOT ALL THE THINGS!'

What could be better? Well, there are only 4 maps (I think that's right - I certainly only remember 4), and the objectives for each map are identical - so there is little variety in gameplay. You play each map twice, once as a Rebel and once as the Empire. I guess when I'm a Rebel I just pretend I'm in Infiltrator Wing. Next, I just don't like the hero ships. Yes, flying the Falcon or Slave 1 is cool, but they are slow to fly, and take too much damage to take down. That makes them a bit tedious from both sides of the coin, to my mind. There is no PvE as there is for several of the FPS modes. I can imagine that the game could get repetative, I'm just not there yet. Finally, the two ships the Empire have seem to have little to separate them. I don't feel that in a TIE Interceptor I'm killing Rebels any quicker, or flying any slower, than in a TIE. A bit more variety in ships would have been good. Options for Bombers / Y Wings capable of delivering devestating missile attacks would have been a better difference than mildly quicker/fractionaly more aggressive fighter variants.

So, all is all, I'm happy with my purchase. It's a fun game, quick and easy to pick up. Worth the £20, not more.


NEW COMPETITON - COO'S STAR WARS CHALLENGE

My Battlefront experiences reminded me of one of my objectives when I took over the role of COO - the promotion of Star Wars MP gaming. After some initial flurries, that has died away. so, after consultation with my COOA and the admiralty, I've submitted and had approved a new monthly competition - the COO's Star Wars Challege.

The COO's Star Wars Challenge is a competition designed to promote and reward the playing of MP matches based on a Star Wars platform. It will be a record of the most active Star Wars MP gamers each month, and yearly. Overall multiplayer achievement will continue to be rewarded via the MP Ace of the TIE Corps and MP Coop Ace of the TIE Corps, of course, but I do feel that this is first and foremost a Star Wars gaming club, and that should be recognised in our rewards system.

How to Enter:

Simply submit your MP Screenshot report as normal, and the COO and COOA will track the number of matches played on any Star Wars MP platform, such as XvT, XWA, BF3, and all other approved MP platforms.

Both PvP and PvE matches count towards a pilot's total.

The player with the highest overall Star Wars based MP victories will win each month, and for the year over all.

Normal Screenshot submission requirements apply.

Screenshots that are submitted that were not taken in a given month, or very close to the start of it, will not count towards that month's total, but will count for the yearly total.

This competition begins as of 00:00:01 GMT tomorrow, Saturday 14th May! So, download BF3, dust of XvT and XWA, or suprise us entirely by submitting an Imperial Alliance, Freelancer - Freeworlds, or Galactic Starfighter screens!


COO COMPETITIONS FOR MAY 2016
This Month's Competitions:

COMBAT EVENTS

COO Monthly Challenge 2016: - whole TC
Combat Events for the COO Challege may need to change.

Low participation for Battlefront will mean we will now leave the swapping, unless we see another rise in Battlefront gaming. We will include battlefront in any multi-platform Combat Events.

This Combat Event is for Star Conflict. To win, you simply need the highest Kill score in any round of PvP flown in April. Best of luck!

May Standings:
Top 3 ranked pilots:

1st - FA Pellaeon
2nd - FA Elwood the Brave
3rd - MAJ Silvius


COMPETITIONS

MP Ace Of The TIE Corps 2016 - whole TC
The Multiplayer Kill Board will used to keep track of points. Each LoC earns you a point for the competition, and a DFC counts for 5 points. Whoever scores most points win. The numbers on the MP KillBoard at the end of the month are the numbers that are tallied. If there are three participants then IS-GW/SW/BW, if only two IS-SW/BW, etc. At the end of the year the top 3 pilots with the most points will receive IS-PW/GW/SW.

May Standings:
Top 3 ranked pilots:

1st - FA Pellaeo
2nd - GN Dunta Polon
3rd - VA Hawkins


MP Co-op Ace Of The TIE Corps 2016 - whole TC
The Co-op Kill Board will used to keep track of points. Each LoS earns you a point for the competition. Whoever scores most points win. The numbers on the MP Co-Op KillBoard at the end of the month are the numbers that are tallied. If there are three participants then IS-GW/SW/BW, if only two IS-SW/BW, etc. At the end of the year the top 3 pilots with the most points will receive IS-PW/GW/SW.

May Standings:
Top 3 ranked pilots:

1st - MAJ Silvius - Keep going for that TAN!! To the TANning booth!
2nd - FA Elwood
3rd - FA Pellaeon


Star Conflict: PvP EFFICIENCY - whole TC

This competition is to achieve the highest single Efficiency (EFF) score in any PvP battle that took place between the 2nd and 31st of May.

May Standings:
Top 3 ranked pilots:

1st - COL Aznable
2nd - FA Elwood
3rd - FA Pellaeon


COO's Star Wars Challenge; Episode II - whole TC

The COO's Star Wars Challenge is a competition designed to promote and reward the playing of MP matches based on a Star Wars platform.

May Standings:
Top 3 ranked pilots:

1st - None - Yet!
2nd - None
3rd - None


All submissions for all monthly competitions must be received by midnight on the 31st May. Any submissions made after that will not count towards the competition, but may be valid for entry into the subsequent month's competition.
Please remember all entries must have been fought within the specified timeframe.


OTHER COMBAT COMPETITIONS
Warrior Leage 2016 (MP) - ISD Warrior
TIE Corps vs. AI (TCAI) (MP Coop) - Entire TC
Cola Wars 2016 MP/MP Coop - Kappa & Epsilon Squadron
Ruler of the Stars (MP & MP Coop) - Kappa Squadron
Sinner's Delight 2016 - Sin Squadron
Hammer's MP Pilot of the Month - ISD Hammer
TIE Corps on Recon - Entire TC
The Hammer's February Frenzy - ISD Hammer
Epsilon MP Ace of the Month 2016 - Epsilon Squadron
Please let me know if I've missed any!

COO'S ACTIVITIES
Mail/telegram activity - lots of this
Processed LoC and LoS
Played multiple rounds of Battlefront (even some for the HF!)
Took part in Wing II Trivia
Submitted new competition
AND FINALLY...
If you would like to get some Star Wars Multiplayer matches in, I'm always us for XvT, XWA, or now Battlefront! Get in touch via email or telegram, post or pidgeon, and I'll tray and meet you online!


respectfully submitted,

VA Hawkins


COO-TCT-TCS/VA Hawkins/TC-4/VSDII Aggressor
GS/SSx2/BSx4/PCx4/ISMx7/IS-1GW-11SW-27BW-2GR-6SR-21BR/MoI/MoT-4rh-4gh/LoC-IS-CS-Rx2/LoS-TS-IS-CSx5/MoC-1doc-1poc-1goc-2soc-10boc/CoLx3/CoS/CoB/LoAx5/OV-16E [LGNR] [Officer 3rd]
{IWATS-BFM-HIST-MCBS-MP/2-SC-SFW-SGBMC-SM/4-TM/1/3-TT-WIKI-XAM-XWAC-XWAI}




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